Control means



Nov. 17, 1936.

D. D. WILE vCONTRQL. MEANS Filed June` 10, 1952 2 sheets-snee; 2

` INVENTR LJ-3f @ATTORNEY Patented Nev. 11, 1936 coN'raor. Masas vmmm n. wire, nen-oa, man., signor to neu-cit Lubrlcator Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application June 1o, 1932, serial No. 616,534 1s claims. (Cl. oil-52)' My invention relates to new and useful improvements inv control means, and-more particularly to a device for imparting movement to means to be controlled, such as a lever arm, or:

'5 -the like, which may be operatively connected. for example, to the draft controlling dampers of a heating apparatus.

An object of my invention is to provide a dey vice which is of simple and compact construction,

10 and which will be positive in its operation.

Another object is to provide a device which is operable in response to iluid pressure generated by pumping means. l'

Another object of my 'invention is 'to provide l5 means for relief of the generated pressure.

'I'he invention consists in the improved `construction and combination of parts, to be more fully described hereinafter, and the novelty of which will be particularly pointed out and dis- 2o tinctly claimed.

In the accompanying drawings to be taken as a part of this specification, I have fully and clearly illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, in which drawings- Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2' is a view in section on the line Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in section on the line 3--3 of but with the motor removed; Fig. 4 is a detail view in section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail bottom plan view of part of the structure of Fig. 4.

v ing corrugations I2. The extension Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, I designates generally a hollow casing having a substantially horizontal bottom wall 2 with an upwardflaring peripheral ange 3 and a central upstandirig boss 4. A substantially cy-` lindrical side wall 6 rises from the ilange 3 and is clamped and sealed rigidly thereto, as by rolling and solder, or the like, as at 5F. The wall 5 has an inwardly directed annular flange 9 in which is an annular upwardlycpen recess or groove 1. 5 Seated in the groove 1 and hermetically sealed' therein, as by solder, or the like, is the lower open end of a substantially cylindrical, circumferen tially corrugated, expanslble-collapsible, resilient element 8, such as a metal bellows which 50 forms a portion of the side wall of the casing. The upper end of the bellows 8 is closed and sealed by a movable head 9 which denes thel end wall of the casing, and which is preferablyprovidedinternally with a reinforcing plate 9*. The 55 ange 9 projects inward P6303@ th@ 1591109578, and

rising from the inner periphery thereof is a hollow cylindrical extension I Ihaving an. end

closure wall II adjacent the-head 9, the wall Il preferably being provided with radial reinforc- I0 and wall 5 II provide an inverted substantially cup-shaped partition which divides the casing internally into an expansion chamber I3 above and around the partition and a reservoir I4l beneath and within the partition. l0'

A cylindrical container. or housing I surrounds the chamber I3 and is secured to the wall 5, as at I 9, and has a top wall I1 overlying the movable end wall 9. Centrally through the top wall I1 the housing has a plunger receiving aper- 15 ture I8 and has vent apertures `I 9 adjacent the wall 5. Projecting upward through aperture I9' is a plunger whichvis rigidly secured and sealed in an aperture in the wall 9, as at 2 I, and which has a downward open-guide bore 22 receiving a 20 guide pin or rod 29 rigidly-and centrally secured to the wall II, as at 24. The top wall I1 is provided with upstanding spaced bracket arms 29 which are equally spaced and radially offset from the plunger 20 and which are joined by' a shaft g5 29 supported at its ends therein. A saddle member 21 is journaled on shaft 29 and'is connected by a pin 29 to the free upper end of plunger 20: The member 21 supports an operating lever arml 29 adjustably secured by a set screw i9 in the 30 alined apertures 9| of spaced depending ilanges 32. The arm 29 is adapted for connection to draft controlling dampers, or the like, and is provided with end apertures 39 to receive damper operating pull chains or rods. A bracket 99* is 35 preferably secured to the housing I9 for mounting the device on any suitable base structure.

Within `the reservoir I4 there is a substantially cylindrical housing 34 which fits within the cup-shaped partition, andwhich rests upon the 40 boss 4. The lower end of the housing 94 has` radially extending cross-arms 3l which support a substantially rectangular block member or casing'99 from which an extension 91 projects upward concentrically within the housing. Within the member 99 there is a rotary pump having a pump chamber 39 positioned beneath the extensin 31 and from which a cylindrical bore 99 rises vertically through the extension 31. The open under side of chamber 98 is closed by a 50 plate member 40 removably secured to the member 99 `byscrews 4I, or the like, and which directly engages and seats upon the boss 4. Within the chamber 38 there are intermeshing driving and driven pump gears, 4I, The driving gear 5s down over the extension. The iield coils 49 of the motor are supported within and by the housing 34. The inlet 50 to the pump chamber is through an aperture in the bottom plate member 40. The outlet passage from the pump is preferably a groove or channel in the underface of the block member, and is closed to provide a conduit by the plate 'member 40. The passage 5I opens into the lower end o'f a valve chamber 52 in the block member. Within the chamber 52 there is a plunger valve 53 controlling an outlet port or passage 54, the Valve 53 having a dependingv boss or abutment 53 engageable with the member 40 to prevent closing of the passage 5I. The outlet passage 54 opens into a valve chamber 55 on the inlet side of or beneath a check valve 56, preferably of the ball type, lwhich normally seats by gravity on a valve seat member 51 in chamber 55 to control reverse flow through the port 58 thereof. The chamber 55 above seat member 51 is in communication with a vertical bore 59 which extends through member 36 by means of a passage 60, the bore 59 and chamber 55 being closed at their bottom ends by the plate member 40. Secured and sealed in the bore 59 and extending upward therefrom, is a pipe or tubular member 6I which passes laterally between the motor field coils and projects into chamber I3 through an aperture 62 in which it is sealed in the partition top wall II. The valve 53 is normally urged downward by a spring 63, preferablyr of the helical coil type positioned in the chamber 52 and'held under compression between the top face of the valve and the top wall of the chamber. A vent 64 is preferably provided in the top wall of chamber 52 to prevent iiuid pocketing above the plunger valve. The valve chamber 55 above seat member 51 communicates .with chamber 52 by a passage 65. A passage 66 alined with passage 65 opens from the chamber 52 intr the reservoir, flow through the passages 65 and 66 being controlled by the upper end portion of valve 53. A peripheral endless groove or recess 61 in the valve normally communicates with the passages 65 and 66 so as to provide a conduit from the chamber I3 to the reservoir I4 which bypasses the pump.

The motor is connected by electric lem wires, not shown, to the terminal posts 68 within the reservoir, which are insulated from and sealed through the bottom wall 2. The'outer ends of the posts 68 are' positioned in a conduit box 69 secured to the bottom wall 2 by bolts and cap nuts 16, or the like. The reservoir I4 and chamber I3 are lled with operating fluid, preferably such as oil or other liquid through the plugged and sealed filling opening 1I, the oil or other liquid preferably completely filling the chamber and reservoir when the .bellows is in neutral or inert position. g

The operation of my device is as follows: The

,motor lead wires are connected at vposts 68 to a control switch, lwhich may be thermostatically or otherwise actuated, and the lever-arm 29 is con nected to some meansto be controlled as the draft controlling dampers of a heating apparatus, or the like, not shown. When the switch controlling the motor 46 is closed to complete the motor circuit, the armature 41 will be rotated and drive the pump gears 42, 43 through the drive shaft 45. The pump will draw liquid from .the reservoir I4 through the inlet 56 and discharge the liquid through the conduits 5I, 54, 58, 60 and 6I into the chamber I3. The liquid discharged through passage 5I will enter valve chamber 52 beneath the plunger 53, due to the boss 53a. As the pressure beneath the plunger is built up by the pump, the plunger will be raised against the force of spring 63, and prior to the valve plunger 53 uncovering port 54, the by-pass groove 61 will have passed out of registry with the by-pass conduits 65, 66, and the .plunger will have cut off flow therethrough. When the plunger has been raised to uncover port 54, then the liquid entering valve chamber 55 will pass through port 58, raising the check valve 56 and be discharged via passage 60, bore 59 and tube 6I into the chamber i3. The chamber I3 being initially filled with liquid, the additional liquid supplied thereto under pressure by the pump will expand the bellows 8 and move the end Wall or head 9 upward to lift the plunger 20. Upward movement of the plunger 20|wi1l act through pin 28 to rock the saddle'2'! on its fulcrum 26, raising the righthand end of lever arm 29 and depressing the lefthand end, facing Fig. 1. When the bellows has reached its limit of expansive movement by abutment with the top wall I1, provided the means actuated by arm 29 has not earlier stopped expansion of the bellows,vthe pressure in the conduit from the reservoir to the chamber I3 may continue to build up, due to continued operation of the pump. Increased pressure in the conduit and in chamber 52 will act to lift the plunger 53 further against spring 63 until the lower end of 'the plunger uncovers or lifts above passage 66,

and then liquid discharged by the pump in excess of the liquid maintaining the bellows expanded, will ow from chamber 52 through passage 66 back into the reservoir and be circulated by the pump, as long as the motor continues to drive the pump, thus providing a safety means to prevent rupture of the chamber I3, or the liquid conveyingpassages; When the switch controlling the motor 46 is opened to break the motor circuit, and the pump is stopped, the energy stored in spring 63 by the pressure in excess of that necessary to open port 54, will act to force the oil in chamber 52 back-through the pump gears and the inlet into the reservoir. When the pump stops, the check valve 56 will seat and prevent the pressure of the'liquid transmitted from chamber I3 by. conduit 6I from acting against'the underside of plunger l53 in opposition to spring 63. It may be noted that when the plunger 53 is raised to open communication between chamber 52 and passage 66, the chamber I3 will also be in communication with chamber 52 by means of passage 65. The pressure from chamber .I3 acting through passage against the underside of the plunger 53, is overcome by spring 63, which need only force a minute quantity of liquid past the pump gears prior to closing off of the passage 65. With the passage 65 closed and the port 58 closed, the spring 63 readily forces the plunger 53 downward to the position of Fig. 4, which opens communication between passages 65 and 66 through the groove 61, which is now in registry therewith. The liquid discharged into chamber I3 by the pump, will now be discharged the pressure beneath from chamber I3 by the resilient'force of 'the bellows v8 acting to return the bellows to neutral inert position, and by atmospheric pressure on position of Fig. 1, resulting in reversal of opera-- tion of the device actuated thereby.

It is to be noted that the force exerted by spring 63 inopposition to the plunger 53 is such as to control the by-pass passage 66 and only permit plunger 53 and in chamber I3 to raise the plunger'to open passage 66 when the bellows has been extended its full permitted distance.

What I 4claim and desire Vto secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: c

1. A device of the character described, comprising a hollow casing, a partition joining the side walls of said casing and dividing `said casing internally into an expansion chamber and a reservoir, said chamber having a movable wall,

, prising'a casing having'a chamber therein with a movable wall, a reservoir, a conduit communieating -with 4said chamber and with said reservoir, pumping means in said conduit operable to force fluid from said reservoir into said cham- 'ber to move said wall, means determining the maximum fluid pressure in said chamber, and mean acting automatically upon cassation of operati of said pumping means to relieve said chamber of iiuid pressure, said last-named means being operatively connectedto and movable with said pressure determining means.

3. 'A device of the character ing said casing internally into. a reservoir and y an expansion chamber, said chamber having a v flow from said chamber through said pumping means upon cessation of operation of said pump-- ing means, and means operable automatically upon cessation of operation oi said pumping means to relieve said chamber of nuid pressure.

4. A device of the character described, comprising a casing having a chamber therein with a movable wall, a reservoir, a conduit communi.- 'eating with said chamber and with said reservoir, pumping means in said conduit operableto force iiuid from said reservoir into said chamber to move said wall, a passageway to return iluid from said chamber to said reservoir, means responsive to predetermined fluid pressure in said conduit to close said passageway. means normally acting to move said responsive means to open`said passageway, and means in said conduit between said responsive means and said chamber to close said conduit 'and prevent transmission of pressure from said chamber to said responsivemeans c described, coin- Aprising a casing having a partition therein dividwhereby to permit flow from outlet from lsaid pump upon cessation of' operation of said pumping means. A l

5. A device o! the character described, comprising a. hollow casing having an inverted substantially lcup-shaped partition dividing said casing internally into an expansion chamber and a reservoir, said chamber having a substantially cylindrical expansible-collapsible side wall surrounding said partition and having a 4movable end wall carried by said side wall, a pump casing in said reservoir, a motor carried by said pump casing and housed in' ,said partition, a pump in said pump casing, means operatively connecting said pump and said motor, an inlet to said pump from said reservoir, and an outlet from said pump discharging int-oA said chamber whereby iiuid discharged by said pump will act to move said end wall.

6. A device of the character described, comprising a hollow casing having an inverted substantially cup-shaped partition dividing said cas-- ing internally into an expansion chamber and a reservoir, said chamber having a substantially cylindrical expansible-coilapsible side wall surrounding said partitionand having a movable end wall carried by said ried by said casing and surrounding said chamber and having an aperture therethrough, a plunger on said end wall and projecting through said aperture, an operating lever operatively connected to said plunger and fulcrumed on said housing, a pump 'casing in said reservoir, a motor carried by said pump casing and housed in said partition, a pump in said ativcly connecting said pump and said motor, an inlet to said pump from said reservoir, and

pump casing, means operan outlet from said pump discharging into said chamber whereby iluid discharged by said pump will act to move said end wall. f

7. A device of the character described, comprising a casing containing an expansion chamber having a, movable wall, control means operable by said Iwall, a reservoir, a conduit connecting said reservoir and said chamber, a pump in said conduit operable to discharge iiuid from said reservoir into said chamber,` a valve chamber in said conduit between said pump and said expansion. chamber, a check valve in said conduit between said chambers, a passage connecting said conduit on the 'outlet side of said check valve to said valve chamber, a passage 'connecting said valve chamber to saidreservoir, a valve member responsive tov fluid pressure and -raziprocable in said valve chamber, said member normally closing said conduit and being movable upon opera-V tion of said pump to permit flow through ysaid conduit to said expansion member being movable upon increased iiuid pressure to uncover said second-named passage said conduit to said reservoir.

' 8. A device of the character described, comprising a hollow casing, a partition dividing said casing internally into an expansion chamber and a reservoir, said chamber having a substantially 'cylindrical expansible-collapsible side' wall and having a movable end wail carried by said side wall, a pump casing in said reservQir, a motor in said reservoir and carried by said pump casing, apump inl said pump casing, means operatively connecting said pump and said motor, an inlet to said pump from said reservoir, and an chamber whereby iiuid discharged by said pump will act to move said end wall.

chamber, said valve discharging into said 9. A device of the character described; comprising a hollow casing, a partition dividing said casing internally into an expansion chamber and a reservoir, said chamber having a substantially cylindrical expansible-'collapsible side wall and having a movable end wall carried by said side wall, a pump casing in' said reservoir, a motor in said reservoir and carried by said pump casing, a pump in said pump casing, 'means operatively connecting said pump and said motor, an inlet to said pump from said reservoir, an outlet lfrom said pump discharging into said chamber Whereby iiuid discharged bysaid pump will act to move said end wall, a normally open passageway fromsaid chamber to said reservoir operable upon c'essation of operation of said pump to relieve said chamber of iluid pressure, and a valve operable upon operation of said pump to close said pas- SageWy.

10. A device of the character described, comprising a control means, pressure responsive means for actuating said control means, a conduit for conveying fluid under pressure to said responsive means, pressure generating means connected to said conduit, a normally open passage- Way for relieving said responsive means of fluid pIeSSuIB, pressure IBSDUIISVG Valve means (ICII'F trolling said conduit-and said passageway, said valve means acting upon predetermined generated pressure to close said passageway, said valve means acting upon increase of generated pressure to open said conduit, and said valve means acting upon further increase of generated pressure to open said passageway.

11. A device of the character described, comprising a control means, pressure responsive means for actuating said control means, a conduit for conveying iiuid under pressure to said responsive means, pressure generating meansconnected to said conduit, a normally open passageway for relieving said responsive means of uid. pressure, pressure responsive valve means controlling said conduit and said passageway. said valve means acting upon predetermined generated pressure to |`close said passageway, said l said conduit.

12. A device of the character described, comprisinga control means, a casing for containing a reservoir, a metal bellows in said casing and operatively connected to said control means, said bellows defining a wall of anfexpansion chamber, an electric motor housed in said bellows and having an armature rotatable in a horizontal plane, a vertically positioned rotatable shaft xed to and supporting said armature, a supporting member for said shaft and projecting upward into said bellows, a rotary pump in said casing operatively connected to said shaft, said pump having an inlet from said reservoir, and an outlet conduit extending from said pump to said expansion chamber. i

13. A device of the character described, comprising a hollow casing including a chamber having a movable wall, a movable control means, a hollow stem external of said casing and operatively connecting said wall to said control means,

"valve means acting upon increase of generated A a guide member within and rigid with said cas- 

